On The Cobbles

Everyone is familiar with the gypsy race but few outside their close-knit and ancient community really know what being a gypsy is about - how they live and how they think. This is the story of a gypsy man, Jimmy Stockin, born into a world where fighting is first nature. Whilst football may be the chosen sport for most Britisn males, bare-knuckle fighting is a passion among gypsies both as participants and spectators. Jimmy was born into a fighting family. His father and grandfather before him both "trod the cobbles" and young Jimmy was being put up against other boys on gypsy camps from the age of five. He took on bare knuckle challenges from wherever they came. Before long Jimmy was widely recognized as the champion of the bare-knuckle fighters. "On the Cobbles" is a rare insight into a community under threat - a community that treasures tradition - and a man who had little choice in becoming a fighter but was nevertheless determined to be the best. Shocking and sad, humorous and brutal, this story opens the door to a different world. The world of a gypsy warrior.